Quick opening container package

ABSTRACT

A CONTAINER PACKAGE INCLUDING A PLASTIC SHEET CARRIER DEVICE IS PROVIDED FOR RETAINING AND TRANSPORTING A PLURALITY OF SIMILARLY CONFIGURED CONTAINERS MOUNTED AND HELD WITHIN THE CARRIER DEVICE, THERE FURTHER BEING COMBINED WITH THE CARRIER DEVICE A PLURALITY OF CERTAIN FINGER ENGAGING TAB MEANS WHICH INHERENTLY FACILITATE THE SEPARATION AND REMOVAL OF CONTAINERS FROM THE CONTAINER PACKAGE. D R A W I N G

March 20, 1973 Lfc. BRAUN ETAL 3,721,337

QUICK OPENING CONTAINER PACKAGE Filed Feb. 1.9. 1971 INVENTOR Leo/20m C.Bray/7 M. Ju/ws K /yg/s BY 5 W g1. 0

United States Patent 3,721,337 QUICK OPENING CONTAINER PACKAGE LeonardC. Braun, Elk Grove Village, and M. Julius Klygis, Evergreen Park, IlL,assignors to Illinois Tool Works Inc, Chicago, Ill.

Filed Feb. 19, 1971, Ser. No. 116,783 Int. Cl. B65d 71/00; B66f 19/00US. Cl. 206-65 E Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to sheet material carrier devices,preferably of the sheet plastic type as disclosed and claimed in US.Pat. No. 2,874,835, where a plurality of containers are held andretained together in side by side relationship for transportingpurposes. Such carrier devices have been extensively used all over theworld for the multipackaging of containers, usually metal beveragecontainers, which are commercially sold generally in multiples of six.

In removing containers from known sheet plastic carrier devices, it isoften a relatively simple task to tilt or swing a container away fromthe package in order to obtain leverage for pulling or twistingcontainers out of the carrier device. In some instances, however,inexperienced consumers have had difiiculty in following the above stepsfor removing a container from the package. Further, the removal ofcontainers from the package becomes more difficult where it is desiredto utilize a pair of spaced plastic sheet carrier devices as disclosedand claimed; for example, in US. Pat. No. 3,086,651. Generally, a pairof spaced plastic sheet carriers is desirable where glass bottles andthe like are used, since it is advantageous to maintain adjacentbreakable containers such as glass containers against movement relativeto each other. Where multiple carriers become necessary or desirable,the difiiculty of removing containers from the package increases.

One patentable concept which achieves the bottle to bottle separation ina container package, yet permits removal of the bottles from the packageis shown in U .8. Pat. No. 3,504,790. This concept requires gripping oftwo adjacent bottles in order to impart a separating force on a weakenedline formed in the carrier between adjacent bottles to permit theremoval thereof from the package. While this concept works quite well,it may not be fully apparent to consumers as to how removal ofcontainers may be quickly achieved.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention toprovide a container package including a new and improved sheet carrierdevice having visible, quickopening means for removing containers fromthe sheet carrier device.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide acontainer package wherein the carrier device included therewithin isprovided with exposed finger engaging tab means which can be gripped andtorn free from the carrier device to remove individual containers fromthe package. It is important in the present invention that the carrierand tab means be so formed in combination that it is inherently easy totear the tabs from the carrier.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention areattained by the provision of a container package for a plurality ofsimilarly configured containers which are arranged in substantiallyabutting side-by-side relationship, the container package including acarrier device for retaining and transporting containers together as apackage comprising an unsupported sheet of material having a pluralityof apertures therein corresponding in number, arrangement and size tothe containers, the material adjacent each aperture in the carrierdevice being in the form of circumferentially extending bands ofmaterial, and means for removing individual containers from the packageincluding individual finger engaging tab means integrally connected tothe carrier device along a limited inner marginal area thereofsurrounding each aperture, each finger engaging tab means being formedfrom a sec tion of material within each aperture and being arranged toextend outwardly relative to said containers for easy grasping thereofby user whereby a force exerted on the finger engaging tab means in adirection away from the carrier device causes tearing of thecircumferentially extending bands of material surrounding each aperturefor removing individual containers from the package. The arrangementwherein the tab means are formed to extend from the inner marginal areaof the aperture for each container should be emphasized, because it isthat arrangement which inherently provides tab means which may easily betorn from the carrier.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAl/VINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of acontainer package incorporating one form of carrier device which isconstructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container package shown in FIG. 1,and further depicting the manner in which individual containers areremoved from the package;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the carrier device used with thecontainer package in FIGS. 1-2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a slightly modified form of carrier devicewithin the purview of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a reduced-in-size top plan view of another form of a carrierdevice which is within the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the discussion that is tofollow, the container package will be described as including a pluralityof breakable containers such as glass bottles or the like, it beingunderstood that other types of containers such as metal, plastic, orpaper cans and containers, whether of unitary or laminated construction,may be used, if desired.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 of the drawings, the preferred form ofcontainer package 10 includes a pair of upper and lower carrier elements12, 14 which are designed to engage the glass containers 16 adjacent theupper and bottom ends thereof. Where complete container-tocontainerstability is not required, a single carrier element incorporating thefinger engaging tab means of the present invention can be used.

Both of the carrier elements 12, 14 are preferably of the sheet plastictype in that'they are made from a resilient, elastic and deformableunsupported sheet of thermoplastic material such as polyethylene, thequalities of which are well known. The lower carrier element 14 isarranged to embrace and grip the bottles 16 adjacent the lower endsthereof in a manner well known in the art. A lower carrier element 14 isprincipally used for the purpose of bottle-to-bottle stability in thecontainer package when used in conjunction with a second carrier elementsuch as the carrier element 12 illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 of drawing.

In the FIGS. 1-2 embodiment, the carrier element 12 is positionedbeneath the crowned caps 18 associated with each container 16.Alternatively, the carrier element 12 may be positioned below theannular shoulder or enlargement 20 formed in each of the containers 16immediately below the crowned caps 18. In either case, the carrierelement 12 is arranged to be located in a position slightly below thecrowned caps 18 of the containers 16 to permit a user to insert hisfingers within the fingerhold carrying means 22 without the risk ofdamaging the users fingers by the sharp surfaces normally associatedwith the free ends of the crowned caps 18 or otherwise interfering withthe carrying of the container package 10.

The carrier element 12 includes a plurality of apertures 24 thereinwhich correspond in number, arrangement and size to the containers 16.Each of the apertures 24 is designed to be stretched upon the insertionof the crowned caps 18 therethrough to permit the material bands 26surrounding each aperture 24 to underlie the crowned caps 18 or annularshoulder 20 as may be desired. In this way, it is possible for thecarrier element 12 to permit the carrying of the containers 16 togetheras a group when the fingerhole engaging means 22 is gripped by a user.

As an important feature of the present invention, there is provided aplurality of individual finger engaging tab means 28 which areintegrally connected to the carrier element 12 along a limited innermarginal area thereof surrounding each aperture 2 4. Specifically, eachfinger engaging tab means 28 is formed from the section of materialwhich is within the confines of the aperture shape that is desired. Inthe embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 of the drawing, the fingerengaging tab means 28 are connected to the material bands 26 surroundingeach aperture 24 along a limited inner marginal area 30 thereof Which islocated adjacent the outer areas of the carrier element 12.

With a carrier element 12 so formed, it is intended that the individualfinger engaging tab means 28 are folded or bent back relative to thecarrier element 12 during the assembly of the carrier element 12 to thecontainers 16 to permit the finger engaging tab means 28 to extendoutwardly relative to the container 16 for easy grasping thereof. Thisis best depicted in FIGS. l-2 of the drawing where individual fingerengaging tab means 28 extend downwardly and away from the carrierelement 12. Because each of the individual finger engaging tab means 28are connected to the carrier element 12 along a limited inner marginalarea 30 thereof surrounding each aperture 24, it is possible for a userto exert a force on each finger engaging tab means 28 in a directionaway from the carrier element 12 to permit tearing of thecircumferentially extending bands of material 26 which surround eachaperture 24 when it is desired to remove individual containers from thecontainer package 10.

To enhance the tearing of the finger engaging tab means 28 into thecircumferentially extending bands 26 of material surrounding eachaperture 24, it may be desirable to connect the limited marginal areas30 to weakened lines 32 as illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawing whichmay be scored in the circumferentially extending band of material 26between the inner marginal connecting areas 30 of each finger engagingtab means 28 and the outermost periphery of the carrier element 12. Withsuch a scoring arrangement, the tab 28 Will remain with the carrierelement 12 as shown in FIG. 2 rather than be completely torn free aswould generally occur without the scoring.

There may be instances where it is desirable to dispose the fingerengaging tab means 28 in a direction which extends upwardly and awayfrom the carrier device 12. Where this is desired, the finger engagingtab means 28 are connected to limited inner marginal areas 30a which arelocated along the inner confines of each aperture 24a as illustrated inthe FIG. 4 embodiment. Weakened lines 32a served to frangibly connectthe individual finger engaging ta-b means 28a with the fingerholdcarrying means 22a except for the intermediate pair of finger engagingtab means 28a which are frangibly connected by the weakened lines 38a toeach other. Obviously, where only a four-pack container package isdesired, each of the finger engaging tab means may be frangiblyconnected to a centrally located aperture formed in the carrier element12.

The FIG. 5 embodiment shows that it is possible to form the fingerengaging tab means from less than the entire section of material withinthe aperture of the carrier element. Specifically, the carrier element12b in FIG. 5 of the drawing shows that the finger engaging tab means28b is formed from approximately one-half of the material section whichremains attached to the carrier element 12 along the limited innermarginal area 30b which partially surrounds each aperture 24b in thecarrier element 12b. The remaining half-section of material within eachaperture 24b may remain either attached to the carrier element 12b or becompletely removed from the carrier element 12b as may be desired.

The FIG. 5 embodiment is further provided with side flange elements 34bwhich may be disposed in a position substantially normal to the carrierelement 12b as a result of the fold line 36b formed in the carrierelement 12b. Each of the side flanges can serve to provide a convenientlocation for printing indicia or embossments for advertising theproducts contained within each container 16. It will be noted that wherethe side flanges 34b are used, as in this embodiment, the individualfinger engaging tab means 28b are designed to be connected to weakenedlines 32b which traverse side flanges 34b. This is necessary in orderthat individual containers 1 6 may be removed from the package.

From the foregoing, it will now be appreciated that the presentinvention contemplates a novel quick opening means for a carrier elementcomprising individual finger engaging tabs which may be configured andarranged relative to the carrier element to suit the particulars thatare required.

We claim:

1. A container package comprising a plurality of containers arranged inside-by-side abutting relationship, and a carrier holding saidcontainers together, said carrier formed from a sheet of resilientdeformable plastic material and having apertures therein, the marginaledge of each aperture terminating on the opposite sides of a tab formedfrom the material within the aperture, the circumferential extent of themarginal edge of each aperture and the material between said oppositesides of a tab being less than the circumferential dimension of saidcontainers, said carrier being mounted on said containers with themarginal edge of each aperture and the material between said oppositesides of a tab being stretched to circumferentially encircle andresiliently grip one of said containers with the material about eachaperture assuming a frusto-conical shape, and each tab being positionedbetween the surface of a container and said material about eachaperture. 4

2. A container package as defined in claim 1, and finger grippingapertures in said carrier for transporting said package.

3. A container package as defined in claim 1, and a weakened line formedin said carrier substantially between one of said opposite sides of eachof said tabs and the outer marginal edge of said carrier.

4. A container package as defined in claim 1, wherein said containerscomprise bottles having reduced neck portions, said carrier beingmounted on said bottles with the marginal edge of each aperture and thematerial between said opposite sides of a tab being stretched tocircumferentially encircle and resiliently grip the reduced neck portionof one of said bottles with the material about each aperture assuming afrusto-conical shape and positioned substantially against the neckportion of the bottle, and each tab being downwardly directed relativeto said bottles and positioned between the neck portion of the bottlesand said material about each aperture.

5. A carrier for the upper reduced neck portions of a plurality ofbottles arranged in two side-by-side rows, said carrier being formedfrom a sheet of resilient deformable plastic material, said sheetmaterial being provided with two rows of apertures therethrough, themarginal edge of each aperture terminating on the opposite sides of atab formed from the material within the aperture, the circumferentialextent of the marginal edge and the material between said opposite sidesof a tab being less than the circumferential dimension of the neckportion of the bottles intended to be associated therewith, wherebystretching of the marginal edge of each aperture and the portions ofsaid sheet material, whereby said tabs are disposed outwardly of saidtwo rows of bottles when said carrier is mounted on two rows of bottles.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,997,169 8/1961 Poupitch 206-65C 3,404,912 10/1968 Watts 206-65 C X 3,325,004 6/ 19-67 Wanderer 206-65E 2,899,051 8/1959 Barnby 206-65 E 3,073,644 1/1963 Baker et al 20665 EX 3,341,245 9/1967 Wolford 206 65 C X LEONARD SUMMER, Primary ExaminerU.S. Cl. X.R. 294-872

